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(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2. I E. M. CARHART.

GAR FENDER.

Patented June 11, 1895.

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If- 17 v THE uonms PmRs co PHOT Tm. wasnmumu u c (No Model) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

- B. M. GARHART.

GAR FENDER.

Patented June 11, 1895.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Tries.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters PatentNo. 540,632,datd June 11, 1895.

Application filed October 5, 1 894.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN M. OARHART, of the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oar-.

' Fenders; and I declare the following to bea specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. V

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention when not in use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same when in operation. Fig. 3 is a a plan View as seen on line ca of Fig. 2. Fig; 4: is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of the actuating-spring and its connections. Fig. is a cross-section on line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on line .2 z of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of a car provided with my invention. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the screen which is attached to the dashboard of the car. Fig. 9 is a top view of the dashboard and said screen in position. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are detail views.

Like numerals indicate like parts.

My invention relates to the guards or fenders used upon electric or cable cars as a protection against the injury of persons with whom such cars come into collision; and it consists of the'novel construction and combination of devices, by which a pivotally mounted frame, suspended beneath the car, is provided with a netted fender which slides in said frame and which is actuated in a forward direction by springs, released from compression by the withdrawal of pins, through the action of levers, operated by the motorman, as hereinafter particularly described and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 is the body of the car, 2' the platform, 3 the wheels, 4 the dashboard, 5 the buffer, 6 the posts to support the dashboard, 7 the brake, 8 the steps, 9 the drawbar, and 10 thecross-bar, all of the usual construction.

11, 11 are the rails on which the car travels. Upon the beam of the car platform 2 are fastened supporting pieces 12. A grooved or flanged bar 13 is pivotally mounted at 14 to the support 12 on both sides of the car. The bars are thus capable of a vertical rocking or tilting movement upon the pivotal bearings,

Serial No. 524,991. (woman) but the limits of its vertical oscillation are determined by pins 141', extending therefrom and entering slots .15 upon guide bars 16, which are fastened to the car body or platform and confine the tilting bar 13 to a strictly vertical movement. A tube 17 is-secured to the under side of the bar'13 by metallic straps 18, or otherwise, and the rear end of said tube is covered by a screw cap 19. In the tube 17 is a sliding rod 20, having a head 21 and surrounded by a spiral spring 22, which has its bearing at one end against the head 21 of therod 20 and at the other end against the cap 19. The forward end of the tube 17 has a central opening of a less diameter than that of the head 21 of the rod 20. In the groove in the tilting bars, formed by the flanges thereof, are mounted, on each side, respectively, the side pieces or frames 23 of the car fender. These are so loosely mounted in said grooves as to easily slide therein. Gross-bars 24, 25, extend between the side pieces or frames 23, from side to side, and between said frames and cross-pieces is stretched the netting 26 of wire or rope. Side guards 27, which are also netted, are fastened to the frames 23,. and extend downward on each side, at an angle. Arod 28, is fastened through a bend thereof by bolts 29 to the under side of each frame 23and extends iongitudinally to the rear and parallel to the frames 23. The rear end of the rod 28 is adapted to enter the opening at the forward end of.the tube 17.

On each frame or side piece 23 is a truck wheel 30, having a grooved periphery, in

tubular bearings 37, in which the roller 38 isjournaled. The roller 38 has sprockets 39 and a'chain 40, the links of which operate the sprockets. The chain 40 is crossed, as indi-. cated at 4.1, by the dotted lines, so that the roller 38 is rotated in a direction opposite to too that of the rotation of the wheel 30. The chain passes over the sprockets 35 and 39. The top edges of the frame 23 are provided with ratchets or notches 42 and on each side of the car, pawls 43, pivotally mounted on the supports 12, have their free ends in engagement by the force of gravity with one of said ratchet teeth 42. The pawls 43 are lifted out of engagement with the ratchets 42 by means of the rod or pull 44. Said rod 44, is kept normally extended forward by the spiral spring 45 surrounding it, which is attached to the car bottom at one end and has its opposite end bear against a collar 46 upon said rod. At the inner end of the pull rod 44two levers 47, 47, are pivotally connected, having their fulcrums at 48. At the outer end of each lever 47 and loosely connected therewith is a downwardly projecting bent arm 481, whose lower end is loosely connected with the pawl 43. When the rod 44 is drawn outwardly it causes by these intermediate levers and arms the upward movement of the pawls and lifts them out of the ratchets 42.

A presser rod 49 passes loosely through the hole 50 in the platform. Its bottom is loosely fitted in or connected with two levers 51 (see Fig. 12) which are fulcru med upon supports 52. The rear end of each lever 51 isbent downward and there provided with ear pieces, between which a swinging pin 53 is pivotally mounted. (See Fig. 10.) The lower end of the pin 53 is received in a socket plate, 54, on or behind the crossbar 24, of the fender. A stop 55 is secured to the car bottom and when the fender is in the position shown in Fig. 1, its crossbar 24 lies just beneath said stop 55. (See Figs. 1 and 11.)

The screen 56 is curved in its upper portion (Figs. 1 and 2) and has a central open space from its top downward to a considerable distance (Fig.8) to allow room for the buffer 5 and also for a head light, when desired. Its bottom is about on the line of the cross-bar 10 and said screen is fastened to the dashboard 4 by ear pieces and screws 57, (Figs. 8 and 9.)

Having thus fully described the several parts of my device I will proceed to explain its operation.

When the device is not in use, it occupies a space under the car platform 2 and between the steps 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, and so is entirelyout of the way, presenting nothing which is liable to do injury or to be injured. In this position, the rod 28 on each side of the frame 23 is in place within the tube 17, as seen in Fig.4,and the spiralspring 22, around the sliding rod 20, is compressed, as there shown. The pins 53 in the socket plates 54 of the cross-bar 24 counteract the pressure of the spiral springs 22 and prevent them from pushing the fenderout of that position. The stops 55 prevent the rise of the cross-bar 24 of the fender. It is in this position of the several parts that the car usually travels and it is seen by Figs. 1 and 7 that the device is wholly lifted above the rails 11, whether the car is in motion or not; but when a collision is imminent and it is desired to use the fender, the motorman, standing at the front dashboard as usual, simply presses with his foot the presser rod 49. This movement causes the rear ends of the lever 47 to rise, thus withdrawing the pins 53 from the socket plates 54 of the cross-bar 24 of the fender. The springs 22 in the tubes 17, being now no longer held from action as heretofore by said pins 53, instantly expand and move the sliding rods 20 with great force and rapidity, which rods drive out from the tubes 17 the rods 28 of the frames 23 of the fender. The fenderthus actuated, slides easily by its frames 23 in the grooves of the tilting bars 13, and, as soon as this movement begins the weight of the fender causes the bars 13 to tilt, so that they extend in an angular direction forward, thus accelerating the movement of the frames 23 sliding therein, and directing the fender downward, so that the wheels 30 come into rolling contact with the rails 11. The device is then in the position shown in Fig. 2. The pawls 43, then resting in the innermost of the ratchets 42, prevent any inward movement of the car fender and resist any inwardly directed pressure. The roller 38, as will be seen by examining Fig. 2 is in a position slightly above the rails. The revolution of the truck Wheels 30 upon the track, caused by the forward travel of the car, turns the sprocket wheel 35, attached to the shaft 32. The chain 40,mounted thereon and crossed in direction, as at 41, rotates the sprockets 39 of the roller 38, but in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of the truck wheels 30, so that any person or object, with which said roller 38 comes into contact, will be thrown upon the netting 26 of the car fender. The side guards 27 protect from the danger of being struck by the wheels or step of the car.

When the fender has done its work, it is returned to its former position by hand. The rod or pull 44 is drawn outwardly and thereby the levers 47 are moved, which by the bent arms 48 raise the pawls 43 out of engagement with the ratchets 42 of the frames 23 of the car fender. The fender is then pushed inwardly under the car, while the pawls 43 are thus elevated, until the cross bar 24, pushing back the swinging pins 53, passes said pins and comes beneath the end of the stops 55, whereupon said pins drop by gravitation into the socket plates 54 again. This movement of the tender at the sametime causes the rods 28 of the frames 23 to enter the tubes 17 and to crowd back the sliding rods 20, thereby compressing the springs 22, as before, which springs are held in said compressed position by the locking device or pins 53, as aforesaid.

The roller 38 may be covered with rubber or other soft substance. The rubber tires 31 on the truck wheels 30 also have a yielding 7 function to relieve the person from a forcible.

shock by the fender. The netting '26 and the dashboard screen 56 all furnish a'soft and yielding surface to receive the person, who is rescued from the danger.

This apparatus is set in motion simply by the pressure of the motormans foot upon the presser rod 49'. All the subsequent movements of the device are wholly automatic until its work is done. The return of the device to its former inner position is accomplished by the pulling of the rod 5% to raise the pawls 43 and by pushing the fender inwardly so that its frames or side pieces 23 slide in the grooves of the tilting bars 13, until, when it reaches the end of its inward travel, the locking devices operate automatically and hold it in position, ready however for action again, as before.

This car fender is simple and positive in operation, cheap in construction, efficient for the purposes intended and does not have to be carried from one end of the car to the other at the end of the route or in reversing the direction of travel.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a car, of pivotally mounted bars provided with grooves or ways, and each having a tube attached thereto with a spiral springiu each tube, afender mounted and movable on said frames and having on each of its two sides a rod adapted to enter said tube to compress said springs, respectively, and a device to hold said springs in compression, but capable, when moved, to release said springs to impel said fender along said bars, substantially as set forth. 7

2. The combination with a car, of pivotally mounted tilting frames, having ,pins at their ends and grooves onvtheir sides, and guide bars mounted upon the car and extending downward and having slots in which said pins,

respectively, are engaged, a fender mounted and movable upon said tilting bars and a spring adapted, when released, to impel said fender along said tilting frames, substantially as shown.

3. The combination with a car, of pivotally mounted tilting frames,having pins at their ends and grooves on their sides, the guide bars mounted on the car and extending downward and having slots, in which said pins, respectively, are engaged, a tube attached to each of said tilting bars, having a spiral spring therein, a fender mounted and movable on said tilting bars and provided with two rods adapted to enter said tubes, respectively, and to compress said springs and a device to hold said springs in compression,but adapted, when moved, to release said springs to impel said fender along said bars, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a car, of the grooved and pivotally mounted tilting bars,

the fender, having frames or side pieces mounted and movable on said tilting bars, the truck wheels on which said fender is supported, the sprocket wheels, adapted to turn with said truck wheels, the roller having sprocket wheels at its ends and mounted at the forward end of the fender and the chains connecting said truck wheel sprockets and roller sprockets, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a car, of the grooved and pivotally mounted tiltingbars, having pins at their ends, the guide bars extending downward from the car and provided with slots, wherein said pins, respectively, engage, the fender having frames or side pieces mounted and movable on said tilting bars, the truck wheels on which said fender is supported, the sprocket wheels adapted to turn with said truck wheels, the roller having sprocket wheels and mounted at the forward end of the fender and the chains connecting said truck wh'eel sprockets and roller sprockets, substantially as shown.

6.' The combination with a car, of the grooved and pivotally mounted tilting bars, the tubes fastened to said bars at the inner ends, the spiral springs within said tubes, the fender mounted and movable on said tilting bars and having rods, which are adapted to enter said tubes, respectively, to compress said springs, the truck wheels on which the fender is supported, the sprocket wheels adapted to turn with said truck wheels, the roller having sprocket wheels at its end and'mounted at the. forward end of the fender and the chains connecting said truck wheel sprockets and roller sprockets, substantially as described. i

7. The combination with a car, of the grooved and pivotally mounted tilting bars, a fender frame mounted and movable on said tilting bars and provided with ratchets and a pawl, mounted on the car and engageable with said ratchets, substantially as described.

'8. The combination with a car, of the grooved and pivotally mounted tilting bars, a fender frame mounted and movable on said tilting bars and provided with ratchets, a spring adapted, when released from tension, to impel said frame upon said tilting bars and apawl mounted upon the car and engageable with said ratchets, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a car of the grooved and pivotally mounted tilting bars,

ICC

fender frames'mounted and movable on said 10. The combination with a sliding fender, 1

mounted beneath a car and provided with ratchets, of a pawl, mounted on the car, levers and arms mounted on the car and movable by a rod to raise the pawls out of enconfine the same against the pressure of the 10 gagement with said ratchets, substantially as spring and a lever, adapted, when pressed, to specified. lift the pin out of said engagement, substan- 11. The combination of the grooved and tially as specified. 5 pivotally mounted tilting bars, a fender frame mounted and movable thereon, a spring, EDNVIN M. OARIIART. adapted, when released from tension, to impel Witnesses:

said fender frame along said tilting bars, a WARREN R. PERCE,

pin adapted to engage said fender frame to DANIEL W. FINK. 

